Posts filed under ‘engagement’

Think back to your first day on the job. You were excited, ready to be part of a team, ready to learn, ready to serve customers, ready to make a difference. Then you arrived at work. Everyone was busy – too busy to talk to the new guy, so the boss gave you a project…a pile of something that needed attention, but clearly not high on the list of priorities. You sensed that it was beneath everyone else and that if it wasn’t done right it was no big deal. How’d you feel? Like you were part of a team? Like you were learning and growing? Like you were a hero, or even a help to customers? Did you feel you were making a difference?

Unfortunately this is the kind of experience far too many people experience when joining new organizations. Some might argue “what’s the big deal…it’s just the first day?” Well, as it turns out, the first day…and every day are “big deals” in setting employees up for success…or for disappointment! One thing is certain, poor onboarding most often results in overboarding…pushing good employees overboard, sooner or later!

Just as with relationships, first impressions can be lasting impressions. When no one befriends the new guy, because “he probably won’t stick around anyway”, too often it becomes self-fulfilling prophecy! Instead, if every new employee was treated and felt like a rock star from day one, they would be far more likely to become the “rock star we all want to work with!

What if…EVERYONE who passed the new gal stopped, introduced themselves, and welcomed her to the team? What if the boss celebrated the new hire with donuts or lunch for the whole team? What if someone from the team, or the sales group, or the home office reached out to welcome her and then shared a project they’re working on and said “I could really use a fresh perspective on this…what do you think?” What if…? Imagine the difference!

Statistics say 70% of employees who experience great onboarding will stay for at least 3 years, and with a much higher engagement level. And in an environment where 20% of employee turnover happens in the first 45 days, that’s huge!

So, the next time you bring a new person into the family, try treating them like family. Make them feel important, needed, and appreciated from the get-go and see the difference!

Leadership involves more than giving instructions to subordinates and measuring how they handle their responsibilities. True leaders want to know how their teams are faring, and how they can improve personally to ultimately improve their teams’ circumstances.

They can only do this if they are communicating effectively and holding themselves accountable as leaders. Things go sour fast when they don’t. I’ll illustrate this with a little story…

The Tale of Gavin the Well-Intentioned Manager

Gavin, a newly promoted store manager, wanted more than anything to exceed the sales and profitability goals that he had just inherited after the recent departure of his predecessor. Although he was new at the job, Gavin understood that he would only be successful with the help and full engagement of his branch team.

So, the proud Scottish immigrant embarked on an aggressive effort to win their hearts in the way he thought best—through their stomachs. Gavin determined that he’d treat the team to his favorite Scottish breakfast every morning. Certainly they’d appreciate this new perk and it would help them get to work early or at least on time every day.

Over the weekend, Gavin labored to replicate the haggis and black pudding recipes his mother had taught him in his native Scotland, and he could hardly wait to share them on Monday morning!

As each employee arrived, Gavin thrust a plate of his proud creations at each of them with complete confidence that they’d love it. Sensing his enthusiasm, his employees feigned appreciation for the meal, but then secretly disposed of it at the first opportunity.

Day after day this scenario repeated itself—the employees growing more and more disgusted by the sheep innards and pork fat and blood-infused foods, but not wanting to offend or irritate the boss.

They pretended to enjoy it. To make matters worse, Gavin never asked or watched them eat to gauge their satisfaction; he just assumed they loved what he loved, and that everyone was perfectly content with the new arrangement.

In time, the employees would get nauseous just thinking about going to work. At first, they were often late and then they began missing days. It never occurred to Gavin that he was responsible for their attendance issues.

Instead he assumed that there was something wrong with his employees, and he began blaming them for their tardiness and absences, even telling his regional manager of their “bad attitudes.” Eventually, Gavin made plans to replace all of them!

A lack of communication is a symptom of a greater problem

So what went wrong? Yes, a lack of communication—specifically, a lack of feedback from both sides contributed. The employees didn’t want to offend or hurt their manager’s feelings, and Gavin didn’t want to have the difficult conversation about their attendance issues, instead taking the easier route of blaming his employees’ “attitudes.”

But the lack of communication was just a symptom of the real problem. The real problem was a total abandonment of personal responsibility and accountability—by all parties.

How to be truly accountable

You see, all success, all progress, all growth, all character development begins and ends with personal accountability. Accountability means being personally responsible and taking ownership of one’s circumstances… especially when it’s hard or unpleasant.

And it’s not just facing up to the obvious—true accountability is going a step further, by seeking out and welcoming (less obvious) feedback from any and all sources. It’s asking, “How have I contributed to the problem?” or “How can I get better?”

That is the ultimate display of true accountability. That is how we get better. That is how we build trust and create alignment with those we work with. That is leadership!

If you’ve driven a car with even one wheel out of alignment you know what an unpleasant experience it can be. A misaligned car might try to fight you, pulling in another direction, or it may wobble or shake. At a minimum it will wear out or unevenly wear the tires. If left untreated it can cause more serious problems or even result in a catastrophic accident.

On the other hand, a perfectly aligned car runs smoothly, requires less gas, and provides a more efficient and pleasant ride.

Work teams either suffer or benefit from the alignment that they experience. Poorly aligned teams pull apart and away from the intended results. Team objectives and results are shaky at best, leaving the team worn and uneven in their performance. Left unaddressed team misalignment may even result in catastrophe or disbandment.

A well-aligned team however, runs smoothly, efficiently, and provides a much more pleasant experience.

Team alignment, is critical to success, whether with your crew, on the sports field, the boardroom, or at home. With shared vision, common goals, and united efforts a well-aligned team is nearly unstoppable. And behind every great team is a good leader who not only values and applies the principles of alignment to his or her team, but also to himself. Great leaders live and lead in alignment with their heads and their hearts. They act consistent with their beliefs. As a result, they enjoy the confidence and credibility necessary to inspire and be trusted by those they lead.

Credible and inspiring leaders then create alignment within their teams by applying the following five principles:

Share the vision(what, where, when, how, and why) – with everyone on the team.

Involve the team in planning – You need their perspective, experience, and most of all, buy-in!

Clarify roles and expectations – Nothing kills alignment like a lack of clarity, and fuzzy expectations! Empower a man, clear the path, and define and agree upon the expected results. Then prepare to be dazzled!

A leader who is well-aligned with herself first and the principles that guide her, and who then creates alignment within her team, will enjoy the power and benefits of a smooth running, highly efficient, and very productive team. Even an unstoppable team!

As a leader, a coach, a manager, or a parent, the most valuable tool you have for lifting and motivating others is also the lowest cost and easiest to use. Encouragement costs you nothing, but its value is priceless! It could be the only thing standing between the success and failure of someone under your charge. Like flipping a switch it can, for the recipient, be the difference between day and night…between engagement and disengagement…between loving and hating their job or challenge.

Encouragement is “the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.” Show me an underperforming worker, student, or athlete, and I’ll show you one lacking encouragement (substantive support, expressions of confidence in their abilities and potential, vision driven hope) from a respected source.

Everyone responds in a positive way to sincere encouragement. And while none of us would intentionally discourage another from doing their best, we actually do it all the time, simply by not offering encouragement! You see, the lack of encouragement IS discouraging! It is, at least by default, withdrawing support, expressing a lack of confidence in, or worse, insulting another thus dashing any hope they might have of succeeding.

So, how do you do it? How can you offer meaningful and sincere encouragement more often and to more people? Here are twelve suggestions:

Just do it…every day…and to everyone! Remember, it costs NOTHING and has a tremendous impact!

Give praise and compliments. We’re talking simple stuff here. While it must be genuine, it doesn’t need to be about winning an Oscar or gold medal. A simple compliment about the smallest thing goes a long way!

Be specific! Being a “good guy” is a nice compliment, but carries far less weight than the real reasons behind a general compliment.

Express your belief and confidence in the potential of others! If they’re not quite there yet don’t feel that it’s your job to point that out. Instead remind them of what can be…what they can do and what they can become!

Challenge them (to reach higher) in a supportive and affirmative way, offering your personal support along the way.

Express gratitude whenever and wherever you can as you observe progress and as you are personally aided by their efforts.

When introducing them to another person your words of praise and positive reinforcement can work miracles in boosting confidence and encouragement.

Pleasantries and greetings. Yes, even a pleasant “good morning”, “how was your weekend”, or “see you in the morning” can be encouraging – not necessarily for its substance – but certainly, the lack thereof can be very discouraging to those who look to their boss or coworker for validation and acceptance.

Take the cue! When you KNOW someone is hurting or discouraged, that’s your cue. As a fellow human being it’s the human thing to do. Even if there’s nothing you can do, your expression of concern and support is…encouraging.

Write a note! If you struggle eyeball to eyeball…put it on paper!

Get personal. Tell them how they’ve helped or inspired you to higher heights, and how you are better for their example or efforts.

James Thurber wrote, “There are two kinds of light – the glow that illuminates, and the glare that obscures.” As a leader it’s important to know the difference and to be able to help others understand as well.

To me, the “glow” that illuminates represents those things that are sure, timeless, and everlasting. Things like truth, trust, and integrity. They are real; they are dependable, breeding confidence, peace and calm. They light the way and warm the soul. They are “the glow that illuminates”.

The “glare”, on the other hand are those things that are temporary, superficial, or meant to deflect, cover up or distract. Things like perfume, styling, presentation, even clothing can be helpful in covering or “prettying up” what otherwise may not, on its own merits, be attractive. The “glare” obscures what we’d rather others not notice.

Both glow and glare have their place and their utility. Interestingly, one can draw the same distinction between character and personality.

Character relates to deeply held values, principles and beliefs, such as integrity, humility, courage, fidelity…and to one’s performance relative to those values and beliefs. Like the “glow that illuminates”, character comes from deep within and is enduring and guiding to the extent one acts in alignment with one’s defining values. They are the “glow that illuminates”.

Personality on the other hand is more external, superficial, and relates to the way one presents himself to the world. The way he dresses, communicates, negotiates, and moves within social and business circles. Much of today’s self-improvement literature focuses on these temporary strategies, skills, and quick fixes aimed at advancing one’s success in any number of settings…by putting on a “better” face. These are “the glare that obscures”.

Again, like the “glow” and the “glare”, character and personality both have their place and value. However, if one compares the resources (time, effort, and money) spent on the one versus the other, there is, it seems, a significant imbalance today. Prior to the twentieth century most literature focused on character development. Since then, the emphasis has tilted heavily toward personality, with nearly all of today’s career development and “self improvement” books, seminars, and programs focusing on behaviors related to personality. Selling more, winning friends and influencing people, getting rich, deal making…

While there’s nothing wrong with improving skills and looking the best we can, there is danger in doing so at the expense of one’s character and those things (values and principles) that are of highest priority. One of the great challenges in life is finding the right balance of character and personality. The secret in successfully doing so lies in [always] putting character first and never compromising one’s character on the altar of personality.

Great leaders encourage others to put character first, even ahead of things that might bring tempting short-term gains. But that’s part of true leadership. In fact the act of encouraging character development over selfish interests itself takes on a glow that illuminates the path for others rather than a glare that may cause them to lose their way.

Just as “a rising tide lifts all boats”, good communication lifts all “ships”…including effective leadership, courtship, and friendship. In the long run, each of these is buoyed up by frequent, and positive, communication. For the purposes of THIS discussion, we’ll focus on leadership, however the same principles certainly apply to effectively maintaining and sailing any kind of “ship”!

Great leaders know that the wind that fills their employees’ sails, and moves the [engagement] ”ship” forward is clear and thoughtful communication from the leader. Communication answering the questions “Where are we headed?” “Why are we making the journey?” “What’s my role and how does it fit in?” Without these, the ship flounders.

Moreover, timely, specific and sincere feedback regarding employee performance, progress, and accomplishment puts your inspired leader-“ship” in full sail! Add to these, the many additional opportunities available to all, but utilized only by the most effective, leaders in engaging their teams, including:

Simple greetings! “Good morning”, “How was your weekend?”, “Have a good evening”. Daily interactions provide simple, but effective opportunities to connect and acknowledge others. Sometimes just not doing this can leave employees thinking “what did I do?” or “why’s he upset?” A pleasant greeting truly lifts morale and increases trust.

When giving instructions or making an assignment, ensure full communication by asking questions. Until you hear your intended thoughts coming out of their mouths, you have not effectively communicated…and they know that!

Listen! Remember, Habit 5 – “Seek first to understand, then to be understood. You can only understand what you truly hear, and EVERYONE wants and needs to be understood.

“Thanks!” Never, ever, ever let an opportunity to express sincere thanks for any and all (even the simplest) act of kindness, assistance, or help of any kind. You may think it doesn’t matter and maybe it doesn’t, but to many a simple “thank you” is gold!

Compliments, when issued spontaneously and sincerely lift spirits, show recognition and awareness, and demonstrably increase trust and communication, while reducing barriers of skepticism, fear, or introversion.

Put the wind back in your team’s sails by increasing the quality, frequency, and sincerity of communication to and with them! It is the surest way to increase employee engagement…and have FUN doing it!

Many managers became managers suddenly and unintentionally. And while it’s gratifying to be tapped out as “the guy” (or gal) best suited to take over the reigns of leadership when there’s a void, it can also be intimidating, especially when one doesn’t feel prepared! After all, how many managers of teams took the “management class” before they were handed the keys? Relatively few, so it’s natural for newly appointed managers to do the natural thing – to emulate their managers…who mimicked their managers…and so on! The problem is that this “legacy” of managing as it’s always been done, often finds its roots in the industrial age. For eons the accepted definition of management was “getting people to do what you want them to do”. That’s it! In the “old days” The typical worker didn’t have many choices and mobility and communications were restricted, so managers could get away with industrial age management techniques – those of directing, threatening, correcting, and controlling.

However, times have changed and so has the world. Today there are more choices: where to work, what to do, how to do it…the possibilities are endless. Add to that an entirely new and different generation of workers. Today, old management attitudes, such as “my way or the highway” just don’t fly! People have more choices, they’re more connected, better informed, and they expect to be respected, want to participate and to matter.

As a result, instead of “management” the focus has shifted to “leadership”, the definition of which is related to, yet vastly different from the definition of “management”. While management was getting others to do what you want them to do, Leadership is different. As Dwight D. Eisenhower said, “Leadership is the art of getting people to do what you want them to do…because they WANT to do it”!

THIS is one of the most valuable lessons a new manager can learn. Unless people WANT to do the work they will not fully engage in the work. It’s a matter of free will (another important “w”). And here’s the second most valuable lesson: Until your employees have a vision and understanding of WHY they’re doing the work – how it helps – how it makes a difference – how it effects the customer, the team, and the organization, they won’t truly WANT to do it. Yes, without these you might get temporary compliance…when you‘re present, but as soon as you’re not, free will takes over and you lose their hands…unless you’ve won their hearts (WANT). The minute a manager thinks, “no one needs to know the plan, the details, or the results but me” he’s already lost!

To truly win the hearts and hands of any organization’s most flexible and valuable resource, the human resource, the effective leader begins with the WHY (the vision). This inspires the WANT (the heart), thereby engaging the will and hands of the team! There is no other sustainable way!